Rollekonter
The Rollekonter (ロールコンター) is a Japanese 6×6 TLR made from early 1938 to 1944. Dates: advertisements and articles listed in , pp. 343–4. The name is an obvious rip-off of Rolleiflex and Ikonta (イコンター in Japanese). The camera was distributed by Mizuno and Hakkōdō, and it is said that they were made by Mori. Attribution to Mori: Tanaka, p. 19 of no. 14, says that the Rollekonter was made by Mori Seisakusho. , item 2021–3, says "Seibi-do Co. (Mori Manufacturing)", but the attribution to Seibidō is not confirmed by any other document. , p. 336, attributes the Semi Konter to Mori Seisakusho. McKeown, p. 849, attributes the Rollekonter to "Rolle Konter Work" but this was certainly a dummy name inscribed on the cameras. General description The Rollekonter is inspired from the 1936 Rolleicord models. The focusing is done by moving the front plate back and forth. The focusing and film advance knobs are on the photographer's right. The film advance is semi-automatic and there is a round exposure counter window at the top of the right-hand side plate. The focusing knob is inscribed Rolle Konter Work. It is surrounded by a metal plate looking like a depth-of-field scale but which is simply written Rolle Konter. There is a magnifying glass hinged to the back of the viewing hood. There is also a lever on the right-hand side of the hood, certainly releasing a mirror for eye-level reflex viewing. The back is hinged to the top and has an exposure table written in English. This table is exactly identical to that of the First Reflex, and it seems that these cameras share other parts too. There is a red window under the camera, on the left-hand side next to the tripod screw. It is protected by a sliding cover and is certainly used to set the position of the first exposure. There is a logo in the middle of the viewing hood, reading K&T. This logo is read from behind when the viewing hood is closed, and it appears upside down when the hood is open. All the models have a 75mm lens called Hitonar Anastigmat or U Hitonar Anastigmat. The U Hitonar 75/3.5 has three elements and was made by Kokusaku, , lens item Lb32. and the other models were probably made by the same company. The name Hitonar (ヒトナー) obviously refers to Hitler (written ヒトラー in Japanese). Evolution The original Rollekonter The original Rollekonter was released in early 1938. According to , p. 343, the earliest advertisement was in the January 1938 issue of Asahi Camera and the camera was featured in the new products column of the February 1938 issue of the same magazine. It is recognizable by its smaller nameplate, only inscribed Rolle konter in two words. There is a lever in front of the wind knob, certainly used to unlock the film advance. The shutter release is directly mounted under the shutter casing. The lens is a Hitonar Anastigmat 75/3.5 and the shutter, advertised as a Tokyo Compur (トーキョーコンパー), provides T, B, 1–300 speeds. It seems that the shutter plate is inscribed Rolle Konter. The shutter is sometimes reported as an "MB Compur", perhaps because it is inscribed as such. McKeown, p. 849. Sugiyama, item 2021 (about the Rollekonter II). This model was offered for in an advertisement dated June 1938, where it was simply called "Rollekonter". Advertisement published in Asahi Camera, reproduced in , p. 105. Three authorized dealers were mentioned: Ōsawa Shōkai, Yamashita Yūjirō Shōten and Seibidō, but no other company name was given. One actual example is pictured in . McKeown, p. 849. The Rollekonter II and B The Rollekonter II was released in mid-1940, and the original model was renamed Rollekonter I at the same time. According to , p. 343, the earliest advertisement was in the May 1940 issue of Asahi Camera. The model II has a larger nameplate, shaped like that of the Rolleicord, marked Rollekonter or Rollekonter II and MADE IN TOKYO. The advance unlock lever has a slightly different shape and it is said that the auto-stop mechanism was improved. Improved auto-stop mechanism: , p. 343. At least one example of the Rollekonter II has been observed without the advance unlock lever next to the wind knob. It seems that they have an unlock button instead, placed behind the distance knob. Examples pictured in this page at Galerie Y. This is perhaps a distinguishing feature of the late examples. The early examples of the Rollekonter II have the Hitonar lens, the others have the U Hitonar. Hitonar lens: example pictured in Sugiyama, item 2021. U Hitonar lens: example pictured in this page of D-Grade Camera World and example pictured in this page at Galerie Y. The Rollekonter II exists in two versions: one has the Tokyo Compur shutter (1–300), sometimes called New Compur, already mounted on the Rollekonter I, and the other has a Rapid-Compur shutter giving 1–500 speeds. These shutters are not genuine Compur shutters but Japanese copies made by Bikōdō. , shutter items and 18-Q-4 and 18-R-9. The shutter rim is nonetheless engraved COMPUR–RAPID on the most expensive version, while the shutter plate has Rolle konter. One example is pictured in this page at tlr-cameras.com with a KODAK shutter plate, certainly because the part was replaced at some time. The release lever protrudes from the bottom of the shutter casing. The Rollekonter B is a less expensive version of the Rollekonter II, with a Hitonar Anastigmat f/4.5 lens. It was first advertised in early 1941. According to , p. 344, the earliest advertisement was in the February 1941 issue of Asahi Camera. The nameplate is engraved Rollekonter B and MADE IN TOKYO. The shutter is reported by some sources as a Light but the speed range is unclear. Sugiyama, item 2023, and McKeown, p. 849, both report T, B, 5–100 speeds. , p. 344, says T, B, 5–200. The pictures observed of actual examples are barely legible but they probably show 5–200 or 5–250. The shutter plate is marked Patent Pending at the top. It is said that the film advance only relies on the exposure counter and that there is no auto-stop mechanism, but this is dubious. This is said by , p. 344, but the pictures show the same controls as on the Rollekonter II. The , compiled on October 25, 1940 and published in January 1941, listed the "Rollekonter II", "Rollekonter III" and "Rollekonter B". , type 7, section 1. Curiously, all three models had the same set price of ¥252. In an advertisement by Mizuno Shashinki-ten dated December 1940, Advertisement published in Kōga Gekkan, reproduced in , p. 105. the two versions of the Rollekonter II were offered along with the Rollekonter I. All the cameras had the Hitonar f/3.5 lens and no price was given. In another advertisement by Mizuno dated about 1942, Advertisement published in an unknown Japanese magazine around 1942, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura. the Rollekonter II was offered alone, in the same two versions, priced ¥260 and ¥278. The lens name had become U Hitonar. In some advertisements by Hakkōdō, dated 1941 and February 1942, Illegible advertisement dated 1941 reproduced in Nostalgic Camera by Toshio Inamura, and advertisement published in Asahi Camera February 1942, visible in this page of Xylocopal's photolog. the pictured camera had a smaller nameplate with stepped sides, which has never been observed on any actual example. The same two versions were offered and the prices in February 1942 were and too. In an advertisement by Mizuno dated April 1942, the cheaper version of the Rollekonter II was offered for together with the Rollekonter B for . Advertisement published in Hōdō Shashin, reproduced in , p. 106. The advertising picture was showing a Rollekonter B, externally similar to the model II. The Rollekonter A and III The Rollekonter A was introduced in late 1942 at the top of the range. According to , p. 344, the earliest advertisement was in the August 1942 issue of Shashin Bunka. The Rollekonter A is called "Rollekonter A-II" in Sugiyama, item 2022, certainly by mistake. It has a large housing around the taking and viewing lenses. Two levers are protruding from this casing, one underneath and the other to the right of the photographer. One of them surely sets the self-timer, whose delay is said to be adjustable between 8 and 15 seconds, and the other certainly selects the shutter speed. Adjustable self-timer: Sugiyama, item 2022 and this page at D-Grade Camera World. The latter source gives the 8–15s range. When viewed from the front, the casing shows the aperture scale on the right of the taking lens and a round window on the left, certainly displaying the selected speed. There is a plate engraved Rolle konter between the taking and viewing lenses. A number of other controls are visible but their use is unclear: there is an additional knob and two sliding buttons on the side plate, to the left of the photographer. It is said that the bottom one is the shutter release. See this page at D-Grade Camera World. On the other side, there is another sliding button between the advance and focus knobs. It seems that the advance unlock lever has been suppressed, certainly because the shutter release is interlocked with the advance system and provides double exposure prevention. At least one advertisement emphasizes a "body release" and an "automatic shutter device" (自動シャッター装置), it is not known if this is an allusion to double exposure prevention or to the self-timer. Advertisement published in Shashin Bunka July 1943, reproduced in , p. 106. The nameplate is inscribed Rollekonter or Rollekonter A and MADE IN TOKYO. The Rollekonter III was released in mid-1943 as the successor of the Rollekonter II with Rapid-Compur shutter. According to , p. 344, the earliest advertisement was in the July 1943 issue of Shashin Bunka. It has a rounded shutter casing around the taking lens, with three protruding levers. There is a black plate screwed between the two lenses, inscribed ROLLE KONTER WORK. The nameplate is written Rollekonter and MADE IN TOKYO. The only actual example observed does not have the K&T logo on the viewing hood and has a U Hitonar taking lens and a Ricoh Anastigmat viewing lens. Example pictured in , p. 437. The Rollekonter III was also sold as the Ricohflex A and this probably explains the lens mismatch. An advertisement by Mizuno dated March 1943 and advertisements by Hakkōdō dated July 1943 and September 1944 showed the following price evolution: March 1943: advertisement published in Hōdō Shashin, reproduced in , p. 106. July 1943: advertisement published in Shashin Bunka, reproduced in , p. 106. September 1944: advertisement published in Hōdō Shashin, reproduced in the Gochamaze website. In the March 1943 picture, the sliding button at the bottom left is not visible, perhaps because the picture was retouched. The September 1944 advertisement blatantly said that the Rollekonter II and III are copies of the Rolleicord II: "same as the Rolleicord II" ("ローライコードⅡ型ト同ジ"). The , listing the Japanese camera production as of April 1943, only mentioned the Rollekonter A and the Rollekonter II. , items 117–8. The manufacturer's name is unfortunately missing from the document. Some actual examples have been observed. Example pictured in Sugiyama, item 2022; example observed in an online auction; example pictured in this page and this page of D-Grade Camera World. All of them simply have Rollekonter on the nameplate whereas the advertising pictures have Rollekonter A. Notes Bibliography * Items 334–8. (See also the picture on p. 437.) * Items 117–8. * * P. 849. * Items 2021–3. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Senzen no kamera 3: Nigan-refu kamera" (戦前のカメラ3・二眼レフカメラ, Prewar cameras 3: TLR cameras). Pp. 19–20. Links General links In English: * Page with Japanese TLR cameras at the TLR Cameras Website, including the Rollekonter In Japanese: * Pages at D-Grade Camera World by Matsu: ** Rollekonter A, front picture and description of use ** Rollekonter B and description of use ** Rollekonter II * Rollekonter II at Wakamiya's site * Rollekonter II at Galerie Y Original documents In Japanese: * Advertisements reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura: ** Advertisement for the Rollekonter dated 1941 ** Advertisement for the Rollekonter dated between 1942 and 1945 * Advertisement for the Rollekonter published in Asahi Camera February 1942, visible in this page about old camera magazines of Xylocopal's photolog * Advertisement for the Rollekonter published in the September 1944 issue of Shashin Kagaku, reproduced in the Japanese camera page of the Gochamaze website Category: Japanese 6x6 TLR Category: R